ANTH063 - EAST/WEST:MDRN WRLD HIST: East&West: A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Cultural History of the Modern World

Sugar and Spices. Tea and Coffee. Opium and Oil. Hop aboard the Dutch schooners, Indian Ocean dhows, Chinese junks, and British and American clipper ships that made possible the rise of global capitalism. How have desires to possess and consume particular commodities shaped cultures and the course of Modern History? This class introduces students to the history of the modern world by tracing connections between East and West, South and North. Following the circulation of commodities and the development of modern capitalism, the course examines the impact of global exchange on interactions and relationships between regions, nations, and peoples, including the role of slavery, colonial and imperial relations, and struggles for economic and political independence. From the role of spices in the formation of European joint stock companies circa 1600 to contemporary conflicts over oil, the course's use of both primary and secondary source readings will enable particular attention to the ways that global trade has impacted social, cultural, and political formations and practices throughout the world.
Recitation will not meet every week. Lecture sessions will be shortened those weeks that recitations are held.